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Looking for Answers? Read this FAQ first and hopefully you will find a quick answer to what you are looking for. If you read this and are still not sure, then by all means post a question on the Overclocking Newsgroup . This is not meant to be the end of the line for all your questions, just a beginning to help you get started. I have included many links to sites that will explain certain subjects in much more detail. You don't need to know every detail of how a computer works, but you will need to know the basics, like how the CPU, AGP, PCI, and Memory Bus speeds are calculated. Before you begin this FAQ, write down the
specifications of your system - CPU, motherboard, memory, operating system, bus
speeds, voltages, and temperatures. If you don't know some of these
specifications, perhaps this FAQ will help you find out. If, after reading the
FAQ, you still have questions, please include these system specifications with
any questions you post. Include
what have you done so far - voltage adjustments, cooling changes,
etc. The more information you can give, the better your chances
of getting a reply that can help you out. Most of my experience is with Abit and Asus motherboards and Intel CPU’s, so don't think I am biased, I am just listing what I know about. I have overclocked a few AMD and Cyrix systems also, but not many of the newer ones. The good folks in the AMD Overclocking Newsgroup have all the experts there. BUT PLEASE read this no matter what type of equipment you have!! FAQ's
Q: What is overclocking? A: Overclocking is simply running hardware (such as a CPU or Video Card) at a clock speed higher than what it is rated for. Sounds simple but there is much to learn and there are many many good sites that can explain this better than I can. You need to learn as much as you can before going any further. Overclocking can damage your CPU or other system components if you don’t know what your doing! If you want to do this successfully, then you need to put a little time and effort into it. I suggest reading over the following sites. They will give you a good explanation of what overclocking is all about. Some of the sites are a little old, but the basic information still applies. Overclockers.com - Beginner Guides AnandTech - Overclocking Guide Tom's Hardware - The Overclocking Guide Also read this - Building an Overclocking Machine
Q: Will overclocking damage my CPU? A: If proper steps are taken to cool your CPU, then overclocking will not damage your CPU. It may in some cases shorten the lifespan depending upon the amount of heat your CPU is subjected to. You can fully expect your CPU will be obsolete by the time it burns out!! Q: I have a ‘name brand’ (Dell, Compaq, Gateway, etc..) computer, can I overclock it? A: In most cases, No! You’ll have to see if there are jumpers on the motherboard or settings in the BIOS to change the CPU bus frequency. If not, forget it!! Next time by a ‘real’ computer. <- that was a joke, ha-ha, get it?..
Q: Can I overclock a Laptop? A: There may be some minor instances when you can, but generally NO! Overclocking creates more heat than what the stock setup is designed for and there is no way for the extra heat to escape. Even if you could get it to run stable, the extra heat would turn the laptop into a hot plate. Personally, I would not attempt this!!
Q: Why can’t I change the Multiplier on an Intel CPU? A: All of the Intel CPU’s for the last few years (from 100Mhz and up) have been ‘Multiplier Locked’. This means you cannot change the multiplier no matter what you do, no way, no how, forget it! Some CPU's will actually use a lower multiplier if you try to increase it. You will have to adjust the FSB (Front Side Bus frequency) in order to overclock. There are a few CPU's that were manufactured before Intel started the locking process, and occasionally an engineering sample slips out without a locked multiplier, but the chances of getting one are very slim. You can try it, but don't expect it to work. AMD is now starting to do the same, but there are some CPU’s or motherboards that can be worked on to change the multiplier. There are many reviews out there about this. See some of the sites listed below.
Q: My system is just not stable (crashes or locks up) when I overclock my CPU! A: There are many factors that can cause this:
Q: My Motherboard doesn't have any core voltage adjustments, how can I change the voltage (Intel CPU's)? A: If you have a Socket type motherboard, there is a procedure you can do. Check this out, but beware, it is risky if the wire comes loose, so be careful!!!!
If you have a Slot 1 type motherboard, there are two things you can do:
http://www.geocities.com/celeron_overclocker/voltage1.htm http://www.3dhardware.net/features/slot1voltage/index3.x Here are the additional voltages needed for the Coppermine CPU's
Q: I can’t get higher than 1.70v for my core voltage in the BIOS? A: Most motherboards limit the adjustment you can change the core voltage too. You can set the Slotket to a higher voltage if you are using one. 1.70v for example, and the Motherboard will think the default core voltage is 1.70v and allow you a higher range of settings. Or you can use the BIOS flash trick as listed on some of the Abit Motherboard sites below. I stole this part from the BH6 site, Thanx to Luke Carroll! - Set the voltage in the bios to the max you can get, i.e. 1.7v. Follow the bios flashing instructions in Bios Info, but type 'awdflash /cc bh6_xx.bin' to use the /cc parameter. That is for an Abit BH6, but it works for other Abit boards also. Just substitute the BIOS version in where it shows bh6_xx.bin. Read your manual or go to the motherboard manufacturer's site for more info.
Q: I flashed my BIOS with the wrong version or something went wrong and now my board is dead! A: Your BIOS is probably scrambled, here are a few solutions:
Q: How can I check the temperature of my CPU? A: All the Pentium II, III, and Celeron CPU’s have a diode built into the CPU that can allow the motherboard to sense the temperature of the CPU. I think a few of the new AMD CPU’s have a sensor for monitoring the temps, but most of the older ones don’t. Please post if this is not correct or if you know exactly which do! Your Motherboard must support this feature also. The best way to tell if it does is look in the BIOS for a CPU temp listing. You can use a program like Motherboard Monitor or MB Probe to check the temps while running Windows.
Q: How hot should my CPU be? A: The temp limits shown by AMD and Intel are the absolute limits that the CPU can handle before it is destroyed. This is by no means a guide to go by when looking for a normal operating temperature! If your CPU were to even approach 80C it would most likely lockup before it destroyed itself. Most CPU’s (under idle conditions) should not be running above 50C (122F). 40C (104F) is a good temp to shoot for. Obviously, the cooler the better. A cooler running CPU will last much longer, and lessens the chance of crashing the system. Your system (motherboard) temp should be fairly close to room temperature, within 5C (9F) degrees or so. If the system temp is higher than that, try adding more case cooling (see below).
Q: My CPU seems to be running hot! What can I do? (Cooling Info) A: There are a few things to look at:
Q: What is thermal grease/compound? How do I apply it? A: Thermal grease/compound/paste is a substance that promotes the conduction of heat between two surfaces by filling in small imperfections in the materials that would otherwise create an air gap. It is not nearly as effective as touching metal to metal, but is a better heat conductor than air. You only need to use a very thin film to fill the small gaps. This link has a good explanation - The Heatsink Guide: Thermal interface materials
Q: What is a Peltier? A: Peltier devices, also known as thermoelectric (TE) modules, are small solid-state devices that function as heat pumps. Go to these sites http://www.tellurex.com/ , http://www.peltier-info.com/ for a complete explanation. Keep in mind that for the best cooling, the heatsink for a Peltier CPU cooler must handle THREE times as much heat as the CPU produces. Here is a good site that tril0Byte has put together on his Peltier cooling quests - tril0Byte's Overclocking Homepage
Q: How far can I expect this CPU to overclock? A: Here are some typical max speeds you can expect:
You can also check out Overclocker.com's CPU Database. The average speed will give you a good idea of what you can expect. Always remember not all CPU's are created equal! Some overclock very easily and some just won't do it no matter how hard you try. It's luck of the draw, but you can increase your chances by reading up on the latest news and buying a CPU that has the best reputation.
Q: What is Stepping? How do I tell what core a CPU has? (CPU Information) A: Intel's definition - Tthe “stepping” number indicates design or manufacturing revision data for production Intel microprocessors (e.g. Stepping 4). Stepping is used to indicate a “revision”. By using unique steppings, it facilitates change control and tracking. Stepping also allows an end user to identify more specifically which version of the processor their system contains. This classification data may be needed by Intel when trying to determine the microprocessor’s internal design or manufacturing characteristics. SO... Stepping is the Core revision of a CPU. It is always best to try and get the latest core revision. As improvements are made in the core, it allows the CPU to run at faster speeds. For additional information, see these pages..
Q: Is ‘this’ CPU faster than ‘that’ CPU? (PIII vs. Celeron vs. Athlon vs. Duron) A: Check out the reviews at the many sites dedicated to testing computer hardware. They give excellent info and easy to read charts on just about any CPU your thinking of getting. Anandtech is a great place to start, look for the CPU reviews. Remember, the CPU is not the only factor in determining how fast a computer will run. If the Video Card or other components are crap, your overall performance will be crap.
Q: Can you recommend a Motherboard or CPU or System for overclocking? A: This changes almost weekly! The best thing you can do is go to the hardware review sites and READ the latest reviews. This way you can learn the latest info faster than you could get a reply on the newsgroup. Also do some comparisons of prices and how far each CPU can overclock, this will tell you what the best value is. If you want a system that will be exactly what you want, then YOU need to make the decision and not base it on others opinions. Here is a step by step of how I built my last machine. This may help you to make decisions of what to look for.
Q: How can I test an ATX power supply or manually turn it on to use it as a power source? A: You need to tell the power supply to turn on. This is done by the motherboard when using an ATX power supply. So if you can send the signal to the power supply manually, you can turn it on using the same pin as the motherboard uses. The pin is the Power_On pin, not the Power_OK or Power_Good pin. There is no specification as to color of the wires, but the Power_On pin is pin #14. The motherboard turns the power supply on by toggling the signal to this pin #14 to a low level. Ground will do, so connecting any of the ground pins on the power supply connector to Pin # 14 will do (Pins 13, 15, 16, 17, 3, 5, and 7 are Ground or Common.) The motherboard is able to toggle the level of
this signal when the front panel ON switch is pushed. This is possible because,
for an ATX power supply, the Standby + 5 volt line is always powered as long as
the power cord is plugged into AC
power.
Tips
Hardware Review Sites
Manufacturers CompInfo MANUFACTURER Directory
Motherboard FAQ Sites (Post a reply if you know of any additional FAQ's) Popular Shareware
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